Enewsletter

Enewsletter • November 1, 2002

More from Dale Carnegie's How
to Win Friends and Influence People:

Most people, when trying to win others to their
way of thinking, do too much talking themselves. Let the other person
talk. If you disagree, you may be tempted to interrupt. But don't.
They won't pay attention while still wanting to say more. So listen
patiently and with an open mind. Be sincere. Encourage them to express
themselves fully.

We ought to be modest, for neither you nor
I amount to much. Both of will pass on and be completely forgotten
a century from now.

¡Hola!
Finally, after all these years of spreading Vegan Outreach stuff,
I'm so glad to see that others in Puerto Rico have joined!
I've been spreading veganism through all my projects. For example,
I'm a professional skateboarder, and always use a Vegan
Outreach T-shirt. As you can see, I also made headlines in
"El Nuevo Dia," the most read newspaper in Puerto Rico!ST, 10/28/02

News

"While many 15-year-old boys occupy their spare time with sports
or playing video games, Nathan Runkle was busy organizing an animal
rights activist group.

"Runkle was 11 when he picked up literature about animal abuse
and vegetarianism at a booth set up for Earth Day in a Dayton shopping
mall. He read the pamphlet, detailed with the grotesque and inhumane
treatment of animals on factory farms and made the decision to become
a vegetarian. Two years later he became a vegan, eliminating all
animal products from his diet."

"Have you ever met a cat that was weaned too early and so developed
the disturbing habit of nuzzling and kneading compulsively in your
hair, your sweaters, your blankets, the crook of your elbow? Well,
pigs prematurely taken from their mothers also root incessantly for
something to chew or suck on; and if they are pigs spending their
abbreviated lives in a factory farm, where maybe 500 animals are
crowded into a space no bigger than a living room, the thing they
try to chew on is the tail of the hog in front of them. This is not
a happy habit for the industrial farmer: chewed tails can result
in infections, and pigs that die, in Matthew Scully's pitch-perfect
phrase, 'an unauthorized death.'

"The factory farmer's solution? When the piglets are weaned,
a good 12 to 16 weeks before nature had planned, their tails are
docked, the lower part amputated with a pliers-like instrument. That
small operation leaves the pigs with hypersensitive tails, which
means the animals will not get complaisant and will struggle ever
after to keep their clipped, throbbing appendages out of the mouths
of their penmates."

Reprint of an Interview with Matt Ball for an Independent Zine

What do you feel are the most successful forms of activism and
spreading the message to people about veganism?

Anything that gets thorough information to people in such a way
that they can "digest" it at their own pace and on their
own terms. We don't want to "Win an argument with a meat-eater."
As Dale Carnegie says in his book How to Win Friends and Influence
People, "The only way to win an argument is to avoid it."

The information must be compelling to the extent that it can overcome
habit, peer-pressure, convenience, etc. Additionally, the information
must be delivered in a way that will not make people skeptical. In
other words: If a person can dismiss even one sentence as "propaganda,"
they can use it as a psychological wedge to ignore the entire message.

Do you feel the vegetarian/animal rights movement is moving in
a positive or negative direction?

This is a complicated question that can't really be addressed in
this space without resorting to simplifications and stereotypes.

To some extent, I think one could distinguish between the "vegetarian"
and the "animal rights" movements. About six years ago,
I was interviewed regarding the former, and I said that I didn't
think there was a vegetarian movement – just a lot of standing
around. I think there is some movement now, but, unfortunately, this
has brought along with it people trying to "out-pure" one
another. Often, vegetarian gatherings and conferences are reduced
to the raw foodists and the ingredientists
(those seeking ever more connections to animal products in apparently
vegan foods and products) trying to outdo each other. And then there
are the vegans who consider non-vegan vegetarians 'the enemy.'

I think the more interesting developments have been on the animal
rights / liberation side of things. Of course, I may be wrong, but
it seems to me that the animal advocacy movement has started to realize
that 99% of the animals killed in the U.S. die to be eaten. The annual
increasein the number of land animals factory
farmed each year has been greater than the total number of animals
killed in laboratories, for fur, and in shelters – combined.

Although the numbers are numbing, and advocacy on the issue more
complicated, more and more activists are realizing that the suffering
of these farmed animals – especially birds and pigs – rivals that
of any other animal. I think it is possible that 2001-2002 will be
recognized as when the U.S. animal rights movement shifted its focus
to farmed animals. Professor Singer's keynote at AR2002 is a good
example.

Do you feel vegetarianism is gaining more popularity?

In one respect, sure. I think more young people are vegetarian than
ever. But I fear that the number of older people staying veg is not
changing. Despite the much greater visibility and convenience of
vegetarianism and veganism, it would almost appear that it is difficult
(but not impossible) to be a mainstream middle-aged vegetarian. One
either reverts to a more standard diet, or one tends to marginalize
themselves. Luckily, Vegan Outreach has a great core of members of
all ages who are dedicated to alleviating and reducing suffering
through positive, constructive outreach.

What does the future hold?

I'm afraid that the near-term holds more of the same, with moralizing
vegans defending their religion / superiority against the impure
– the impure being anyone not as "vegan" as they. For
example, I got the following message recently: "I consider you
a traitor to our cause. Your theories and rationalizations are ridiculous.
You claim to be a proponent of veganism, but you never fail to criticize
veganism. You attack those elements of the Animal Rights movement
who actually have courage, something you lack completely. One day,
we will all account for our lives. I pity you on that day."

On the other hand, I am encouraged by all the selfless, dedicated
people who are working to make the animals' case. More people are
realizing that we aren't going to chant and scream animal liberation
into existence.

Do you believe that one day we will all be vegans?

Humanity will one day view killing animals as we currently view
human slavery. A mixture of ethics, economics, and technology will
bring this about. When this will happen – I wouldn't even hazard
a guess. Looking at the failures of many who have tried to predict
the future is very humbling.

What are some of the most recent achievements of Vegan Outreach?

I believe that our new
Vegan Starter Pack makes an excellent case for practicing the
type of "veganism" that will succeed in spreading a vegan
ethic to more than a handful of people.

The next
version of Why Vegan? will be, I'm sure, a more effective
advocacy tool. Many vegans may not like it because we cut a number
of sections from it. But from a marketing / psychological perspective,
throwing everything pro-veg into a booklet is a recipe for confusion
and unreadability.

What types of arguments or points do you suggest bringing up
when talking to a person about veganism for the first time?

Don't argue. Offer information, and be honest and humble. Read How
to Win Friends and Influence People (or at least the excerpts
weve included in Vegan Spam over the last few months).

What types of things do you suggest NOT be done when reaching
out to people or doing activism?

Don't be self-righteous. No one is perfect, no one has all the answers.

Is there any reason whatsoever to eat meat?

Meat isn't the issue. It isn't "evil" or "wrong"
or "poison."

Similarly, veganism is not nirvana. It is not "good" –
it is only a tool, one tool among many, by which to reduce suffering.

The suffering of animals that become meat is the bottom line.

Any final comments or suggestions for those helping to spread
the word about veganism?

Be joyous
and have humility. Be an example of a life that others would admire
and be interested in understanding.

Feedback

Not all those
interested in veganism are interesting in Christianity. I have
personally been "turned off" by the religious references
in your newsletters and pamplets. You would have had my support
had you concentrated on the issue and not included these religious
references. I call your attention to this fact to simply to let
you know my opinion on this matter is not isolated. You might gain
broader support for your cause if you did not include such religious
references in the future.BS, 10/20/02

Reply:
Vegan Outreach is an advocacy organization. Our goal, first and
foremost, is to alleviate and prevent animal suffering.

The majority of people in the United States
are Christian, and a significant proportion of these people base
/ justify their choices on the teachings from the Bible. Therefore,
it would be unethical for Vegan Outreach – and for people who
share our goal – to ignore the Christian arguments for justice
and compassion.

Interestingly, in the mail yesterday, we
received notice from a former donor, who said, "I don't believe
in evolution; I believe in the Bible. I cannot support you any
longer."

First and foremost:
I can't say how much I appreciate all the efforts you put forth
for the purpose of compassion.
Usually when I send donations to organizations,
I only include a few dollars. But I remember the day I became vegan. It was
five years ago. When I picked up a copy of Why Vegan (there was
a small pile of them in the music shop), I immediately cut all
animal-originated products from my life. Five years later, I am
still faithful to our animal friends, and would like to thank you
for opening my eyes to their need for our help.
That is why I'm sending you $150. I am not
a rich person – being employed in the human service field – and therefore,
it means a lot for me to donate this amount. Please continue to help people
see what compassionate individuals they can be!SN, Jamaica Plain, MA, 10/28/02

About five years ago, I bought an album
that changed my life; a band I liked was on it. After reading the
Why Vegan that accompanied it, I was sold. I went totally
vegan 1 1/2 years ago, and I love it! Since then, my best friend
and about 20 of my other friends have gone veg; three other friends
went vegan. I've given away 300 copies of Why Vegan already,
and I need more.
My friends made me a hat that says "Vegan Life" on it,
and I never take it off. The hats sparks animal rights conversations
all the time, with little effect.MR, Providence, RI, 10/26/02,

I don't normally get shocked at looking
at animal cruelty pictures. But the pictures you had were so upsetting
I can't even put it into words...but I got really sad. I am going
to stay vegan for the rest of my life. You guys are doing an awesome
job.ST, 10/24/02

The student group Student Coalition for
Animal Liberation had a great tabling here at Temple University
last night and completely tapped them out of Why Vegan?.
We used Meet
Your Meat for the first time and found it to be especially
useful.JR, Philadelphia, PA, 10/23/02

Your Why Vegan and Por Que Vegano
booklets have made a huge difference in Portland, OR. No one else
is showing pictoral documentation of cruelty!SM, 10/19/02

The Why Vegan? booklets are really
awesome. I distributed a number of them for World Farm Animals
Day, October 2. People were amazed, to say the least.DM, Kenova, WV, 10/17/02

I received one of your pamplets at a local
concert and became a vegatarian. Then a year later, I read it again
and became vegan. I've started a campaign at my high school promoting
animal rights. Thanks!SF, 10/16/02

Because of your Vegan Starter Pack, I have
gone back to being vegan. The nutritional information is very informative.
Thanks for your help!RC, Philadelphia, PA, 10/15/02